Congratulating Robinson High School Women’s Crew Team on their Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Championship

Board Matter

Congratulating Robinson High School Women’s Crew Team on their
Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Championship

Madame Chairman:

Olympic Gold Medalist, Brad Alan Lewis, called rowing an absurdly simple
sport, a sport where the beginner can easily be guided through the right
technical motions. The difficulty arises, he added, “when the beginner
attempts to repeat those motions on a bumpy race course, at 40 strokes a
minute, heart rate zooming, and an opponent charging up his stern.”

The women rowers of Robinson High School, with heart rates zooming,
experienced first hand the angst caused by an opposing shell cruising
towards them as the finish line grew near. But with a strong last few
strokes they were able to hold off a late sprint by National Cathedral
and take first in a highly competitive girls’ first eight final. Decided
by just three one-hundredths of a second, it was a race so close
officials had to use a frame-by-frame replay to determine the winner.

Crew is by no means a sport for everyone, certainly not the faint of
heart. Those who dedicate themselves to it, as these young women have,
and achieve this level of success deserve our respect and
congratulations.

Madame Chairman without objection I would ask that the Robinson Women’s
Crew team be invited to come before the board on June 22nd and
be recognized for their Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association
Championship.